Plastic damage of the surrounding rock under the influence of confined water pressure and mining disturbance

Simulated rock stress and deformation characteristics in influence of mining disturbances, water pressure and crustal stress by use of Comsol4.2a the multi-physics coupling finite element simulation software. The results showed that:(1)the water pressure is fixed conditions, the plastic damage scope in stress concentration zone where was formed by mining disturbance is were greater than the mining floor,and with an extension of the scope of mining, the scope of plastic failure zone in the rock surrounding which including the vertical and horizontal was increased;(2)Stope width is fixed conditions, with the water pressure increases, resulting in the surrounding rock mechanical strength decrease, As rock water pressure increases, resulting in the surrounding rock mechanical strength decrease, and increase the scope of the plastic collapse and plastic damage within the fault zone intensified. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.